Furumachi, Chuo-ku, Niigata City. This is Niigata's well-known downtown area. In a town that is changing, there are a number of coffee shops that have remained unchanged.

Furumachi 6 Bancho "Etoile" is one such restaurant. I would like to report on this restaurant today.

The location is a short distance past Manshodo, if you enter the Furumachi 6-bancho mall from Seidani Koji.

The entrance is up these stairs.

CAFE DE ETOILE.

This is an interior view of the restaurant. It was around 3pm when we entered the restaurant, but it was quite busy.

Hanging on the wall are a number of warm paintings. Classical music plays quietly in the background. It is calming.

A moment after I took the seat I was shown, I saw this object.

For a moment I thought it was an hourglass for giants, but it wasn't. A giant siphon...? If you look closely, you can see marks all over the place that look like they have been used. I feel a sense of romance.

Menu. There is quite a good selection of meals.

Incidentally, three people entered the restaurant today.

Here's what my friend ordered. 'Ethnic set'.

Toast topped with a generous amount of curry sauce and cheese, with ham & cucumber in between. This is served with mini macaroni au gratin, plus coffee jelly after the meal. 750 yen.

This is the coffee jelly that comes with the ethnic set. The volume is about the size of a cup. A nice size.

This is the Coffee Zenzai ordered by another friend. A combination of coffee, coffee jelly, ice cream (green tea or vanilla) and shiratama zenzai. As for the taste, "The coffee is quite bitter. However, the zenzai is moderately sweet, so the taste is just right". The combination of coffee jelly and ice cream is often seen, but I think it is unusual to have shiratama zenzai in it.

And here's what I ordered. Espresso Vanilla. I decided immediately on the name. I had never heard of anything else like it, so I was very curious...

Tasting. As you can read, there is vanilla in the espresso, and when you stir it, it melts into the espresso in a good way. The sweetness of the vanilla is a little bit stronger than the espresso. That was my impression. Personally, I was happy because vanilla ＞＞＞＞ espresso. Vanilla guessers will certainly be satisfied with this one.

impressions

The shop was crowded with customers of all ages. There were also people who appeared to be visiting the shop with their parents and children. When we asked the staff, they told us that it had been open for about 40 years, which makes sense. Forty years is probably one of the oldest establishments in the Furumachi area. It is wonderful that parents and children can go to a shop they have been going to since they were young. I thought it was only possible in a shop that has been loved for so long.

Shop information

'Etoile'.

• Location: 962, Furumachidori 6-bancho, Chuo-ku, Niigata City, Niigata Prefecture.
• Telephone number: 025-228-4018
• Opening hours: 8:00-21:00.
• Closed: Open all year round
• Niigata Hometown Guide: http://www.niigata-furumachi.jp/spot/%E3%82%A8%E3%83%88%E3%82%A2%E3%83%BC%E3%83%AB/